Anomalous Days
by Metamorcy
Summary: Reborn never imagined that a simple screw up during a mission would lead him to the weirdest person he had ever meant. Now he just needs to make sure that this person doesn't learn about his identity while being in an eight years old body. Boss!Tsuna R27
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: Anomalous Days

**Summary**: Reborn never imagined that a simple screw up during a mission would lead him to the weirdest person he had ever meant. Now he just needs to make sure that this person doesn't learn about his identity while being in an eight years old body.

**Rating**: T for right now, will probably move to M later on

**Pairing**: Eventual R27

**A/N:** Here's the new story. Its for those that reviewed Contract and got it to 2000 reviews XD I'm so happy!**  
**

Beta'ed by WhiteAngel128 and saphire644

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Reborn sneered angrily to himself as he rushed through the back alleys of the streets of Namimori, momentarily taking a quick peek backwards to search for his followers. He hadn't thought that a simple illness such as a cold, of all things that could affect him, would cause him to make a slip-up during a mission. It was an easy mistake, a mistake that anyone could make, but that simple overstep caused him to face a massive rain of bullets, and such an annoyance that was. He had plotted everything out, made sure to get the routines of the guards; everything and more that would be needed for his success. But it all failed in the end, his plan spoiled just by a simple sneeze. It was quite that simple.

He had used his tiny eight year old body, a special ability of his gained from being an Arcobaleno, to sneak into the mansion unnoticed by the guards of the mafia famiglia. After all, being small had its advantages when it came to such things. His mission was to assassinate the boss that had been apparently creating trouble for the man he had been hired by and, instead of success, he had screwed it up. Still, he wasn't worried that it would stain his record of being the best.

Reborn ducked behind a metal garbage bin to hide from the oncoming bullets that slammed into the back, pelting into the metal. The bin budged slightly at the force, but creaked back into its original spot soon after. It wasn't dark out yet, but there was no sun, the gray clouds covering everything in sight. His trusty gun was at his side like usual, ready to fire at the advancing crowd, and when there was a slight pause in the bullets, he popped out to shoot back. With his famous and perfect aim, he nailed eight of the men with eight bullets square in the forehead, dropping his followers immediately by half. He smirked as pride floated through him. Apparently, even when sick, he could still be his usual awesome self. Using that momentary pause as the remaining men tried to re-orientate themselves from the sudden drop of fighters, Reborn dashed out into the open to escape, knowing he had to get away as soon as possible.

Though he knew he could normally take care of his pursuers even with an eight years old body, he was already weakened enough with the sickness running rampage in his body and the added rain that was pelting down on him it wasn't helping either. He couldn't take any chances; a single mistake on his part could very well end his life today. And he knew that if he didn't get out of this weather soon, his condition would worsen and there was a high possibility that he might collapse somewhere to be carried off to an enemy's base. Well, if he was lucky enough to be left alive if he got caught. However, he'd rather die than get tortured by the enemy. Reborn growled as he jumped over a fence, his leather shoes landing into a puddle of water below, and almost slipped from the wet surface, his right foot turning inward. He caught himself at the last moment before any damage could be done and took a deep breath, his vision just beginning to blur from the effects of his sickness. His infamous fedora was completely soaked, the water dripping off the sides around his face, and his suit was heavy from the extra weight. His fingers was numb from the cold and his body was about to start shaking, shivering momentarily when a gust of wind blew through the ally.

Reborn knew from the symptoms he was experiencing that his condition was worsening. It wouldn't be long before his body forcefully collapsed on its own from exhaustion. 'Damn this sickness, I wouldn't be in this mess in the first place if I wasn't sick!' Mumbling some curses in Italian, he continued to run forward, dashing around people on the streets as quickly as possible, making sure to keep himself out of sight from his pursuers. He didn't want to be followed, not now. Reborn quickly calculated how long it would take to get back to his hideout by foot, but knew it would be too late at the rate his body was failing.

Wisps of air puffed before his face, disappearing within seconds and only to be replaced by another breath. It was cold, his body was freezing, and the rain wasn't making it any better. The gun that his fingers were gripping onto tightly was beginning to burn from the coldness and when he tried to switch hands, it was like the metal had glued itself to his skin, forcing him to tear it apart. It was so cold, almost like he was touching ice, and Reborn could already see the visible shake in his grip, his fingers going numb and pale in color. Still, he kept going, his eyes searching out for the best place to hide for a few hours and to allow his body to finally rest. But there was nothing, just empty places that looked too dangerous and open in his view.

As he made his way down another alley, he heard the sounds of yelling from behind, well aware that his followers were starting to catch up on him. Reborn cursed once more, wanting nothing more than to transform back into his original body to make his escape. But he knew better, transforming consumed large amounts of his energy, energy he couldn't afford to spare in his current state. Since the Arcobaleno were gifted with the ability to transform from their original ages backwards by ten years each and forward to their original age, it became pretty handy in fooling everyone they met. In the case of Reborn, whose age was twenty-eight, he could be an eighteen-year-old, or eight as he was now currently, and then one. He never questioned why one, but he decided it wasn't worth the thoughts. But of course, almost the entire mafia world was not aware of this ability, making him blend into his surroundings that much easier and using the age change as a disguise.

Reborn dodged around multiple buildings, making his way through the abandoned areas, while shooting back towards his enemies. He took a few more out, knowing he was doing quite well despite his condition. However, just as he was about to find some freedom from his chasers, he turned the corner to head into a street where he crashed straight into someone's legs. A small grunt escaped his lips as he was forced back, the collision strong enough to make his head spin but did not make him tumble to the ground. His vision spotted for a moment before clearing up, the rush of adrenaline fading from his body at his sudden stop. Reborn cursed again, without that rush that was keeping him going, his body was already shutting down. His black eyes peered up at the fool who had dared to get in his way, but quickly found out that he could no longer see as his vision suddenly blacked out, collapsing backwards towards the ground.

For a moment, he heard a concerned shout for him and then felt something warm wrapping around his tiny body. Reborn hoped that the next time he woke up, if he ever did, he wouldn't be strapped down with a gun barrel buried into his forehead. He could only hope.

* * *

Tsuna had wanted nothing more than to go for a simple walk out in his hometown. It had been a busy month for him and a break was needed to get some relaxation in-between before he decided that having a mental breakdown would be a better idea. The whole month had been mainly meetings with numerous outside famiglia, who were trying to gain an alliance with Vongola. That, of course, didn't include the allies that were trying to convince him to go along with something or make a deal. He had to handle each and every one carefully with either a critical glare or a calm expression. Some he agreed to, others he outright refused and gave his reasons as to why. And as usual, there were those fools that required some blackmail or corpses to keep them shut.

Tsuna was the Decimo of the infamous Vongola famiglia, the top group and the most powerful mafia famiglia in the underworld. However, despite everything, his face had been kept mostly hidden to the ever watchful eyes through the use of a single mask. Even when he met up with the bosses of other mafia groups, he made sure to cover his face with his infamous Vongola sky ring out and bring one of his guardians as proof that he was indeed the Vongola Decimo. His spiky brown hair was left uncovered and was quite obvious in helping to identify him. He didn't enjoy the whole mask idea, he despised it, but it was for the safety of his relationships, both with friends and family. He didn't care about his privacy or anything silly like that. It was for those that didn't know about his connection to the underworld, for their protection, since being so big meant trouble to them. Of course, there were a few bosses he pulled the mask down for, mainly his allies or those he trusted completely to keep his identity safe.

Originally, Tsuna hadn't wanted to be involved with the mafia, but in an effort to protect his dear mother from the darkness, he took up the cloak to become the official heir. It had been a tough battle to get to the top, destroying his competitors with his blood inherited abilities and rigorous training, but he made it. And ever since he took over, Vongola has been transformed for the better. His strong ideals of changing from the bloody history the mafia group once had to something better drew many people towards him, gaining plenty of close dear friends and allies that he knew deep within he could trust with his very life. His hyper intuition followed him closely on those thoughts, resonating within his soul as reassurance.

But he always loved retiring back to his mansion in Namimori, he couldn't help it, and he knew very well that it was mostly safe from outside famiglia through Hibari's commands. It didn't stop everyone, obviously, since there were plenty who wanted to test his cloud guardian's strength. But they all failed to succeed. Luckily for him, with Hibari always in the area, it made his protection much easier for his guardians. And better yet, he could do his paperwork in the mansion, having it shipped, emailed, or faxed over thanks to Gokudera, his right-hand man, and his amazing ability with technology. It made his life so much easier in a sense. Documents could be read through quickly and the ones that needed to be signed with his special sky flame would be shipped over or printed out. The technology left Tsuna with much more free time compared to the earlier days of his takeover, something he was very grateful for. This eventually led to him enjoying a stroll out in the rain for a break with a nice orange-colored umbrella over his head.

And to a child crashing against him.

Tsuna, though wasn't prepared for an attack, held himself steady and made a quick observation of his so-called attacker. He couldn't help but pause as he took in the sight of a small sick child, who, to him, looked like he was about to collapse at any second. His eyes drifted over the heavily flushed appearance to the ragged, soaked clothes. It was an appearance that stung his heart like no other. As he continued his observation, he took note that the child had most likely been running in his horrible weather for hours by the way the water had taken to the clothes. However, Tsuna froze when he saw the expensive gun in the boy's hands.

'Now where did he get that? Much less, why does he have that?' Tsuna temporarily thought for just a moment before the black-haired boy suddenly collapsed backwards. He made a quick shout, springing forward to catch the child before he hit the ground, and gave a tight hug around the fragile-looking boy. Tsuna sighed, he had dropped his umbrella by accident, now able to feel the ice-cold raindrops hitting against his head and shoulders, but it didn't matter. This boy was in a critical state and needed care immediately. His fingers brushed over the forehead, trying to feel for the fever, and just as he expected, it was scorching. 'Now, what to do? I guess I should bring him to the hospital.'

Lifting the unconscious boy into his arms, he managed to hook the body just right so he could get his umbrella to cover them both. However, as he was about to turn to see if he could find a taxi, some shouting behind him caught his attention, his intuition sounding off within as an alert. The brunet immediately tensed, his eyes narrowing in detest as he quickly released what was happening. 'So the boy is being followed.' His fingers touched the gun the child was holding and, with a little bit of force, managed to wedge it out of the cold grasp, finding it more than half loaded by the weight of it. With a quick maneuver with his fingers, he opened the bullet case to check the amount inside and smirked. He had six more bullets left in the twelve gauge, it was more than enough to take care of the men behind. Still, Tsuna didn't want to hang around for the pursuers to find him like it was on purpose and started making his way back home, seeing as a hospital was definitely out of the question.

"Hey, you!" One of the followers called out, bursting from the alleyway where the child had previously barreled out, gaining Tsuna's attention. The rest of the group was right behind, slowing down their pace as they stalked forward.

The brunet slowly turned around, throwing on an innocent act to leave him less suspicious. "Huh? Me? Do you need something?"

The other men peered at each other, believing Tsuna's act without a second thought. "That boy, give him to us."

"This boy?" His honey-colored eyes peered down at the said boy, wondering to himself what the child could have done to get himself into this much trouble. Tsuna recognized those garbs as a minor famiglia that had been causing some trouble in the past, but it wasn't enough to make him outright strike them out. Though, he had been hearing rumors of the group doing terrible things to their clients, quite literally backstabbing them. Still, his concern right now was the boy in his arms. "Ah, him. I just found him collapsed on the side of the road. I just couldn't possibly leave him there. Did he do something wrong? He's quite young-looking, he should probably be returned to his mother. She must be worried by now especially in this type of weather."

The men made a few mutters between each other before the leader of the group stepped forward. "Look, that boy is with us. We can…return him to his mother."

Tsuna almost wanted to laugh at the obvious giveaway, but kept his straight face. But this time, he looked at the group suspiciously, edging the boy closer to his chest. Regardless of the fact that the child might have done something wrong, like hell he was going to hand him over. "You know what…I think I'm going to turn him over to the police. I think he'll be…much safer there."

With those words, the men began to prowl closer, but Tsuna didn't back down. Not wanting to bother anymore with these idiots, he took the boy's weapon and fired consecutively without any sort of hesitation. A dark look of murder slipped inside his eyes, an orange hue radiating as swirls within the honey color. The shots were silenced from the gun and the bodies collapsed, leaving no one to get in Tsuna's way. The brunet made a small 'tch' in the back of his throat and began walking away. He would have to make sure to call Hibari to get someone to clean up the mess.

Now to deal with the boy…

* * *

How's this for the first chapter? Review?

And some of you might be a little off by that sneeze that gave Reborn away in his mission. But that's what makes it different. It's a simple mistake anyone can make.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title**: Anomalous Days

**Summary**: Reborn never imagined that a simple screw up during a mission would lead him to the weirdest person he had ever met. Now he just needs to make sure that this person doesn't learn about his identity while being in an eight-year-old body.

**Rating**: M obviously

**Pairing**: Eventual R27

**A/N: **Kinda forgot about this one, opps.**  
**

Beta'ed by WhiteAngel128 and Ankou13

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Reborn twitched, his consciousness finally starting itself back up after the crash, but just barely. The hitman knew even before opening his eyes that he was exhausted, his body was aching all over, and he was slightly cold, shivering wherever he was. He suspected that he had been captured by the enemy - it was too obvious to not think so. After all, he knew very well it was nearly impossible for him to have gotten away and yet, he forced himself out of his induced sleep to face the trouble he had managed to land himself in. It was easier to do so now rather than later, there was only one pathway where he was heading.

But when he opened his eyes, he was only met with confusion. The place he had woken up in definitely didn't look like he was in prison or some sort of torture chamber. No, it was just a regular… bedroom? Reborn tried to sit up, only to collapse again, his breathing ragged. That was evidence enough that he had pushed his younger body to the limit during his run. Thinking back, he momentarily remembered seeing a person when he crashed. Perhaps the person had taken him away before his followers had found him? It was possible. Probably more likely than him actually getting back up and running away.

As his vision began to clear and the haze that had clouded his mind faded he took a good look at his surroundings. The bedroom was fancy yet plain at the same time. It had a chest drawer, an attached bathroom, and a table fastened to a wall. The bed he was sleeping on was about a queen in size, large compared to his child-like body, with thick bed sheets and covers that had been carefully tucked up to his neck. A nightstand was on each side with a clock on the right one stating the time as three in the afternoon. Reborn quickly calculated; he had been asleep for more than fifteen hours and despite that large amount of sleep, he still felt like shit.

A heavy cough slipped from his throat, forcing him to bend over to control it, and it was at that time that he noticed he was no longer in his usual clothes. Reborn almost felt like panicking, knowing very well that he had been stripped bare, before his mind cleared up. He was wearing something which was better than nothing at all. If he had been naked, there would have been hell to pay. He was thankful that his savior had at least thought about that. The clothing consisted of a simple over-sized white shirt with pants that were far too long for his feet, but they were better than nothing, keeping him warm despite his body's protests otherwise. They looked like something he'd possibly wear if he were around eighteen.

Just as Reborn was going to try and get up to explore his surroundings, the door to the bedroom opened. Immediately, the hitman tensed, ready for anything, but what he saw made him pause. There entering the room was a young-looking man with spiky shoulder-length brown hair that seemed to glow in the sunlight behind him. He also had the kindest looking eyes Reborn had ever seen. In the man's hands was a silver-colored tray, the contents unknown due to the angle, but he could make a guess that it was meant for him. The hitman quickly profiled the person as harmless in appearance, but he knew better. Looks could always be deceiving, him being a testament of that.

Tsuna peered up, making sure to balance everything so that he wouldn't make a fool of himself, and stared at the boy. He tensed slightly at the obscurity in the eyes. It was clear to him that the person before him had been in the dark world for a long time. Still thinking that Reborn was a child, he immediately pitied the boy, hoping that everything would be alright in the future. When it came to children, he was always adamant about protecting their innocence while it lasted despite knowing that sooner or later it would vanish due to the harshness of the world. He could only protect so much. Taking a deep breath, Tsuna stepped forward, giving a warm smile in hopes of disarming the child. "Ah, you're awake. How do you feel?"

The boy didn't answer and continued to stare which only resulted in him breaking out into another coughing fit.

The brunet quickly set the tray down onto the side of the bed, making sure that it wouldn't shift at any slight movement, before settling as well. "Do you need some water?"

Reborn seemed reluctant but nodded his head, watching as the person before him reached over to grab a glass that was on the tray. He observed everything, making sure not to miss a single move. The tray had some medication, an empty glass, a jug of ice water, and some packaged crackers. It was just some basic stuff. No food, nothing that would give him any thoughts that it had been drugged except for the meds. He could tell if there was something different in the water so he was confident enough on that subject.

Tsuna poured the water carefully, well aware of those watchful eyes. It made him feel nervous but he was used to it; he had experienced the same thing all too often in the past. As the water swished around in the clear glass, he handed it over. But Reborn couldn't grab it. The child's hands were only just able to curl around the container but his grasp was weak and almost let it slip through his fingers if Tsuna hadn't caught it. So the brunet had to provide a helping hand. The hitman was, of course, grumbling about his weakness, but let it slide knowing better than to do or say otherwise.

"So…" Tsuna started again, once he saw the boy getting enough to drink. "What's your name?"

Reborn paused at that; what was he supposed to say? Should he say his real name? No, he couldn't do that. That might give away his identity, but then again, it might not. He mentally nodded his head, for now it was best to lie. He could give out his real name later when he knew everything was safe. "Ryan."

Tsuna felt his institution resonating at that; the boy was lying to him. "Ryan?" Still, he didn't do anything and accepted the name. He figured the person was hiding something profound if he didn't want it to be found out through investigation. No matter, it was fine with Tsuna. He could deal with the fake name. "Ryan, then. Well, can you tell me how you currently feel?"

Reborn almost wanted to sigh at the stupidity of the question. "Sick."

"Sick? Well I already know that," Tsuna gave another disarming smile. "But I need to know your symptoms if I'm to treat you."

"What? Not going to ask anything else? Like why was I lying there? Why was I out in the rain in the first place?"

The brunet chuckled. "I doubt you would answer me if I asked you."

Reborn smirked, the man was smart. "Correct. But I don't need help; I'm fine on my own."

Tsuna just sighed at that response, scratching the back of his head. "Sure you don't, and yet you're still here sick as anything. Come on, get some more rest. You're welcome to stay here for as long as you need. There's some cold medication here which should help with your symptoms, but I'm not going to force you to take them since you're so paranoid already. And before I forget, I had to change your clothes," The brunet noticed the hitman looking down at himself. "They were completely soaked. I sent them out to be dry-cleaned for you so you'll get them when they return from the cleaners." The brunet stood up, placing his hands onto his hips, and peered down at the other with an almost twinkle in his eyes. "Now then, I have work to do so I'll see you later alright?"

The child almost wanted to blink in surprise, he was lucky. He hadn't been captured and was instead taken to an innocent's home to be taken care of. It was very kind of the brunet and Reborn knew he should say something for all that kindness. It would be wrong to not do so. "What's… your name?"

Pausing midway from the door, the brunet glanced back with a smile. "It's Tsuna. My real name is quite the mouthful so just say that. Ah, and before I forget," He pulled out the gun from within his jacket, knowing he had the other's eyes on him. "I guess I should give this back to you. I don't know how you got this and I won't ask, but just know that I did take the bullets out of it. A kid like yourself shouldn't have such weapons, much less, shouldn't have the need to protect yourself like this. Well, get some rest."

As he handed the gun back over, he saw a flash of gratefulness in those black eyes as the boy took hold of the weapon. It was almost like a possessive state and Reborn's fingers were clenching onto the weapon tightly. It didn't matter that it was empty, he could make the bullets appear into his hand, another special ability he had earned from being an Arcobaleno. However now Reborn knew he had to say something, the man deserved it after doing so much for a child.

"Thank you." Muttering those words, Reborn shifted back into the covers and turned away from the door, knowing he was embarrassed. He'd never liked saying it to anyone, never, not even to the boss of the Arcobaleno. He felt the person behind him paused at that and then chuckled, tossing a few words back in reply. Soon the door closed and Reborn was left alone in the room, he settled back into the comforting darkness. His throat was still sore from all of his coughing fits and his body was still shivering in its attempt to keep warm. His eyes turned to the tray where the medication was and, after an internal battle, decided that it wouldn't hurt to take some.

Tsuna had done nothing suspicious and Reborn sensed no lies within that soft voice. Reaching over to grab the bottle, Reborn examined the contents carefully before plucking the cap off for the pills within. Swallowing two with a glass of water, he shuffled back into the covers for some more sleep, knowing that he should start to feel better by the time he next awoke. His mind drifted off and he passed out in the soft bundle of sheets, for once feeling at peace.

* * *

Tsuna sighed, the boy had been more uptight than he originally thought, but he didn't think badly of it. 'He must have had a terrible childhood, perhaps?' Shaking his head, he went towards his office to finish off the rest of his paperwork, knowing it would be better to keep up with it than let it accumulate. But, for once, there wasn't much to do. The papers were mainly people asking for an alliance with or favors from Vongola. Some he agreed but most he declined. He knew better than to allow Vongola to associate with these… dirty groups - human trafficking, drugs, human experimenting, weapons, and much more.

Tsuna hated every one of them, especially the first one. He made sure he sent a message to everyone in the underworld that if he caught them doing such things, Vongola would come out and destroy them. No hesitation, no meeting, just outright murder and elimination of the group. It was harsh, he knew that, but he had long ago learnt that people just didn't listen with a small warning. His guardians held the same views as him and didn't hesitate to fulfill his desires, most knowing the horrors of the underworld firsthand. Tsuna almost wanted to laugh. Only when he was in the darkest part of the world was he able to do something the cops weren't able to.

Before long, it was almost eight at night and his stomach growled in its demand for food. Tsuna chuckled; he had been caught up in his work again, only taking small breaks now and then. Standing up, he stepped out of the office after making sure that everything was secured. He spared a glance towards the bedroom door where "Ryan" was before going down the stairs. He lived in this mansion by himself, a maid coming by once a week to clean the place, but he loved how quiet it was. It was different compared to the Vongola main base where it was always bustling with noise and people.

Entering the kitchen, he looked through the fully stocked refrigerator and grabbed a few ingredients along with the rest from the cabinets, creating some pasta for dinner. Just as he was about to turn on the water to start boiling it, his ears picked up the light sound of footsteps. They were soft, completely unnoticeable until his intuition started sounding. Peering back, he spotted Reborn standing there at the doorway, watching him intently. "Ah, you're awake," His honey-colored eyes examined the boy's appearance, smiling at the sight. "You look better."

The hitman strode closer. "Obviously. Are you cooking?" Reborn peered around him to get a better look of the food, wondering if he would be able to snag some before leaving. He couldn't stay here too long. It would be bad to involve an innocent in his problems and he still needed to take care of his mission soon to prevent any retaliation.

"Yeah, do you want some? You know what? I'm going to cook extra anyway. You look like you need a good hot meal in you," Tsuna chuckled, grabbing a few more stands of the pasta to cook, making sure to double everything. If he guessed right, the boy would most likely eat most of his portion. When Reborn didn't answer, Tsuna continued to cook and listened as the child sat down at the counter, watching him intently, but he didn't mind it at all. "So, Ryan, how old are you?"

"Eight."

"Eight? That's quite young. Shouldn't you be home with your family? I'm sure they're worried about you."

"Don't have any."

Tsuna paused. "Oh…" He peered back for a moment, letting the pasta cook. "Well, I guess I can offer my home out to you. You don't seem like a bad child." Moving around the kitchen island, he patted Reborn on the head fondly, the fedora left upstairs. His fingers threaded through the natural spiky black hair, finding himself fond of the silky sensation. "I guess you'll most likely leave in the morning when you feel better, yes?"

Reborn narrowed his eyes. The man was good at reading his actions, though not the best, but good enough to get through his defenses. "Obviously. I need to head back."

"I see, well, be safe then. Do you need some food to take with you? Perhaps something warmer to wear? Your clothes arrived an hour ago, but they don't look like they would protect you much from the weather here."

"I'm fine." The hitman couldn't help but think the other man as over-motherly. It wasn't hard to see it. The man's presence was nice and warm, and Reborn took it in with glee. He didn't mind being treated like a child either, he was, after all, in an eight year old's body. Of course, people would react this way.

Tsuna didn't say anything else and continued to work on the pasta, getting the sauce ready in another pan. As it finished, they made simple small talk, nothing major as Reborn refused to give any personal information about himself out to the man. He couldn't afford it. Though when dinner ended, the hitman couldn't help the small fluttering of warmth that filled him whenever the brunet smiled. Tsuna was just too warm and that kindness he held was something he had never met before, the underworld he lived in was far too cruel after all. Something like this was a wonderful change.

* * *

Review please


	3. Chapter 3

**Title**: Anomalous Days

**Summary**: Reborn never imagined that a simple screw up during a mission would lead him to the weirdest person he had ever met. Now he just needs to make sure that this person doesn't learn about his identity while being in the body of an eight-year-old.

**Rating**: M

**Pairing**: Eventual R27

And some more of this story. I'll probably start placing stories on hold to finish others in order to lighten up my load *sigh* But I already have two more on the way because I can't keep my mind straight...**  
**

Beta'ed by WhiteAngel128 and Ankou13.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Reborn didn't understand why he had come back here of all places. He didn't want to but he had to admit he was curious about the man. He had left in the morning, once he felt better, but hadn't been able to escape Tsuna and complete his mission until the brunet had forced a packed lunch into his hands. Compared to before, his body had almost recovered, though he still had a few shivers here and there. His fever had broken sometime during the night and he felt like he could do anything, but he knew better. He had to take it easy or else he could simply fall sick again. Taking care of his target had been straightforward once he was well enough. He alerted his employer of his success before hanging up soon after. Despite completing the mission, he didn't have any place to stay and he needed somewhere to hide for a while. He couldn't afford to leave just yet, not when there were armed men running around looking for him.

Which brought him back to the brunet's place. The mansion Tsuna stayed in wasn't exactly fancy; it was large enough to contain a family of people, but small enough not to garner too much attention. It was gated, with cameras here and there and was heavily forested to prevent wandering eyes. There were no statues, nothing fancy to make it stand out in the front, just a flat yard with random patches of flowers. This told him that Tsuna was a simple man that liked things to feel homey. Reborn jumped over the gate with ease, making his way back to the front door. He would normally enter as he pleased but being forced out just because he broke in would put a damper on his plans. Still, his curiosity about the brunet was strong. The man was unusual after all.

Ringing the doorbell, he waited for the response while his eyes glanced around the surroundings some more. His sharp ears picked up the sounds of footsteps and then the clicking of the lock. The door opened and a familiar head poked out, looking down at him.

Tsuna blinked, he hadn't been expecting the other to actually return and so soon either. The boy looked like he wanted to leave and he respected that, but to come back… Now that was odd, still, it wasn't unwelcome. "Ah, hello Ryan."

'Ah, that's right. I gave him a fake name.' Reborn wiggled his nose and nodded, tilting his fedora downwards in greeting. "Chaos, Tsuna."

The brunet sighed, not enjoying the lack of response from the boy, but stepped aside to let him in. "You're back sooner than I thought. Or are you hiding from someone?"

The hitman snapped his eyes up at that from below his fedora, refusing to give himself away. He couldn't let anyone know about his profession much less his identity. "No, I'm just tired and need somewhere to rest."

Tsuna felt the other lying, it was hard to tell with this one, but he was familiar with people trying to hide the truth. Regardless, he went along with it. Locking the door behind him he walked towards the kitchen, wanting to start on dinner since it was beginning to get late into the night. He had been hoping to go out but it looked like his plans had been tossed out the window before they even happened. "Are you hungry? I'm about to cook dinner."

"Yeah, I'll have something to eat."

The brunet smiled at that and went into the kitchen, quickly pulling out ingredients to start the meal. He wanted to make something more complex, perhaps some… Wait, this was a child he was cooking for… Perhaps he should cook something simpler and more suitable to an eight years old boy's taste. Then again, Ryan hadn't complained about the food last time. Shrugging his shoulders, he went back to his previous dish: chicken piccata.

"Ah, remember the room you were sleeping in before?" Tsuna glanced over as he allowed the chicken to cook in the pan with the mixture of flour, salt and pepper. He got a nod in return and smiled. "You're welcome to use that room again. I haven't changed the sheets yet so it might look a little messy from when you used it."

Reborn lifted his fedora off his head, letting his usual spiky hair fling out. "Thanks. I'm quite amazed you would allow a stranger such as me to come into the house like this without asking any questions."

The brunet chuckled. "I do that a lot. I mean, if you're not here to harm me, then what do I need to be afraid of?"

The hitman blinked, it was true. He wasn't here to hurt Tsuna at all. He had just wanted a place to stay until things cooled down - nothing more, nothing less. Still, it was odd how easily he slipped into the brunet homey pace. The man was overly friendly and overly welcoming, it was too much, and yet, just nice.

Still, despite all of his thoughts, the brunet did know how to cook a great meal.

* * *

Tsuna had found this "Ryan" quite adorable at how suspicious and defensive he got at times. It had its annoying moments but the child easily went along with things afterwards, never minding one thing or another. Going to bed had been simple, easier than Tsuna expected. He remembered a time long ago that his lightning guardian, Lambo, who was the youngest of the group, would always make a fuss about going to bed early. Ah, his friends and family, he would need to call them soon to see how they were doing and perhaps invite them over, too. He missed them being here, but he certainly didn't miss the chaos they brought with them.

In the morning, Tsuna had completely expected the child to leave early and never came back again, but instead Reborn had stayed. Tsuna had been a little surprised as he peered at his clock, seeing that it was eight in the morning, and glanced back at the bedroom door the little hitman lay behind. The Vongola boss had managed to finish off a large load of his work and was just about to make some breakfast, but he wanted to check if his guest wanted some as well. It would be rude not to ask. Besides, the child looked like he needed a good home-cooked meal and some rest. Gently knocking on the door he slowly opened it, poking his head in;.

'Ah, still in bed, I see.' Tsuna chuckled quietly to himself and stepped further into the room, making sure to keep his footsteps quiet, his presence was almost unnoticeable. He stopped right in front of the child, watching him sleep peacefully for a few moments. He took that time to better observe the adolescent, who oddly didn't act like an adolescent. If anything, Ryan acted much older than his real age. But whatever, perhaps he had been forced to grow up sooner than expected? It wasn't uncommon after all.

Settling onto the side of the bed, he reached over to thread his fingers through the soft hair. The spikes were easy to pass through and the boy twitched for a second before relaxing into the touch, still completely out. The brunet continued his massage, lightly patting the boy on the head, until Reborn began to stir.

At first, the hitman was completely content, feeling at peace, until he realized that there was someone touching his hair. Reborn had almost snapped himself up to attack until he took a moment to get a better grasp on the situation. He knew from all his years as a hitman that it was better to know what he was getting into before doing something completely stupid, and that was what he did. 'Is Tsuna stroking my hair? Why?' It was odd, but not unwelcome and he rotated his body slightly to get a better look at the older man, his black eyes opened. The two stared at each other and Tsuna just gave a warm smile.

"Good morning, sleepyhead."

Reborn stared some more, he clearly hadn't been expecting such a greeting. Years of being in the underworld had made him lose what would be considered warm. "What are you doing?"

"Waking you up. I wanted to see if you would like some breakfast."

"Breakfast? Oh," The hitman slowly sat up to get a better look over everything and sighed. "Sure, thank you."

Tsuna still stroked the hair, well aware that Reborn was leaning against his fingers, and didn't quite want to pull away just yet. The way the child was acting was just too adorable. Still, he couldn't sit here forever and eventually pulled away with a soft smile. "I'll get started on breakfast. See you downstairs." He stood up and began to make his way towards the door. Just as he was about to open it, he peered back for a moment and smiled before finally moving on. Reborn simply sat there, unsure what to do next, and eventually pushed the covers off him. It was breakfast time after all and he refused to miss a good meal.

* * *

"Are you leaving again?"

Reborn snapped his head up, his fingers gripping onto the doorknob. He hadn't been expecting that he would be caught on his way out, but it seemed the brunet had a sharp sense of what was going on around the house. Anywhere he tried to go, Tsuna knew right away. After eating breakfast, Reborn had taken a long shower to clean himself off, enjoying the hot water scorching his skin. The steam quickly filled the room; it was great compared to the cold air. Afterwards, he had wandered about the place, trying to find out more about the brunet, but there was nothing much he could work with. Besides the bedroom and study that belonged to his host, he had ventured through everywhere he could. Despite his search, there were no personal photos, no items that would help him identify more about Tsuna's past and present life - nothing.

Still, as much as he wanted to stay at the place, he needed to make sure that his tracks were covered and wouldn't cause any trouble for the kind man who had helped him. Reborn peered back towards the brunet who was slowly making his way down the stairs, his footsteps silent against the marble floor. The hitman almost wanted to sigh, releasing his hold on the door, and took another step outside. The cold air breezed past him and he peered outside towards the trees that prevented him from seeing the streets on the other side. This mansion was really isolated from the rest of the world and it was nice. Everything was just so peaceful and relaxing. It wasn't exactly the type of place he would enjoy but it was wonderful to have this feeling every now and then.

Tsuna kept moving closer, his eyes watching over the raven, and wondered what was going to happen next. "Ryan?"

The hitman sighed and leant against the door frame. Reaching up, he flicked his fedora upwards to allow his dark eyes to examine the brunet. For some odd reason, he enjoyed seeing the concern and worry within those eyes and knew it was being directed only at him. It was amusing to see. "I'll be back."

With those three words Tsuna relaxed, his shoulders slumping down in relief and he stopped moving. "I see. That's good to hear," He gave a soft smile and peered straight into those dark eyes. "Well then, before you leave, would you like to take some packed lunch with you? Or some snacks? Maybe an extra jacket for protection against the cold?"

Reborn shook his head, amused by the motherly affection the brunet gave him. 'He must have raised some children before or at least some siblings. He looks too young to be a father just yet.' He closed the door slightly to alert the other of his intentions. "No, I'm fine. I'll be back again later when I start to feel hungry. I must thank you for your hospitality though."

Tsuna chuckled at that and stepped closer, kneeling down to the hitman's level to show him respect. He was beginning to figure out the tiny boy, it was clear to him that this 'Ryan' was much older than he appeared, or at least more knowledgeable than the average child. "It's nothing. My place is open to you anytime. If I'm not here, you're welcome to break in, though I might not recommend it due to the security I have installed."

The hitman almost wanted to laugh at that. "I doubt your security system could stop me."

"We shall see. Just don't destroy anything, alright? I'd rather not have to cover the damage."

Tilting his fedora downward in amusement, he chuckled. "I can't always promise that."

Tsuna shook his head, standing back up, and placed his hands onto his hips. "If you damage anything, I'll start charging you. And if you don't have any money, I'll make you work it off by cleaning this entire mansion. That'll be punishment enough for you and no stealing either. I don't accept such dirty money."

"You really are a strange person," Reborn retorted, stepping further into the garden and took one last glance back. "I'll come back sooner or later today. See you, Tsuna."

"Ah, take care."

'Definitely have to come back,' The hitman almost wanted to break out into a smile, but refused, shaking his head to continue down the path. 'I think I just might like it here.'

* * *

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